It's been a mostly uneventful trip from the Alamo Citadel back towards El Dorado. Harmon had been patroling the area with plans to return anyway when he came across Victoria and Shane in need of an escort so the Lone Star Caravan doc, shotgun savant, and Desert Ranger prospect offered his services with the added perk of a safe place to sleep after a long day of travel.

The Outpost is visible, when pointed out by Harmon, in the distance as the sun begins its slow descent towards the horizon cooling the desert air, "We made good time, but I've been picking up tracks of mutant patrols near this part of the road. If you've got a weapon have it ready, otherwise stay behind me or the power armor." he says, checking his gauss shotgun and gear as he scans the horizon.

Made of bravado taller than she is, Shane flourishes Ripper, hunks of super mutant flesh still growing foul where caught up in the chainsaw-like metal teeth. She whispers in an overloud aside to Victoria, "I've got you covered. Ironface lent me a weapon."

Victoria pulls along her wagon which is now empty, a successful time of trade and deliveries done for the woman. She wears a dark blue baseball cap that says 'Georgetown' on it, a pair of aviator glasses, and her usual t-shirt/jean combo with her boots, backpack slung on. Around her neck is a large dark grey infinity scarf. Looking crestfallen at the announcement from Harmon, her eyes briefly closing as she lets out a groan, "If I mess up this cast-" On her left forearm, "Percy is gonna staple me together this time." Her chin falls forwards as she lets out another sigh, nodding to Shane, "Okay, I should help out anyhow. Crap in a hat." Her whiskied voice is plaintive, the girl just wants to get back and have a stiff drink. Her bones hurt. Stopping in her tracks she'll crouch down, swinging her backpack around to get out her gun from the pack, "Do we know how many? Oh cheesus, that thing stinks." Vic will opine of Ripper, grimacing as she slings her backpack on, right hand coming up to shift her scarf to cover her nose, balaclava like.

Astaroth Paladino lumbers down the trail, a large super sledge resting carelessly over the shoulder of his power armor. Most of his armor is covered in a thick layer of dust and he wipes off the visor screen allowing him to see better. As he makes his way down the trail he spots a few people and quickens his pace to catch up with them, not yet decided if they are a caravan or a band of raiders.

Approaching the band cautiously he waves a massive arm to get their attention, and shouts in an almost robotic voice through the helmet of his armor, "Who goes there? Caravan, raider, roving band of gypsies?" He then slows to a stop taking a measure of all within this group, his armored hand now maintains a tight grip on the handlee of his sledge hammer.

Harmon steps up in front of the group as Astaroth approaches, holding up a hand, "Lone Star Caravan, civilian escort." he says firmly, the weathered former NCR ranger not raising his shotgun though it is kept at the ready. He's apparently used to dealing with various outsiders, "These two needed an escort back and I was headed this way. Suns getting low and we were going to make for my bunker for a safe nights rest before shuttling them the rest of the way in." he explains simply, taking a few more steps forward and stopping beside the walking Tin-Can and his oversized hammer and speaks a bit lower, "Since you didn't attack, I'm going to assume yer at least halfway decent or at least handy in a scrap." He narrows his eyes in the direction that he had motioned where his bunker is, "I think I can handle this, but if you're looking to help I've got eyes on a Mutant scout party. No need in making a fuss about it in front of the good ladies." he says, clearing his throat and turning back to the others, "Well, ladies, it looks like I was right unfortunately. We've got a scout group of mutants between us and rest and while we could leave them be and try to skirt them I don't like those things in my front yard so I'm gonna do something about it. You're welcome to help, just don't get hurt." he says lowly and firmly before motioning for the others to peek over some rocks where he points out the group.

They look lazy, one supermutant and three smaller ones eating something that is likely best left unidentified. He growl and shove at each other as they eat like savages not paying much attention to the world around them.

Harmon offers a firm nod to the group as he moves towards the ledge, only a short drop into ensuing violence no doubt.

He drops down, shotgun at the ready, all but landing on top of the supermutant. he connects initially with a buttstroke of his shotgun, followed by a flurry of motion and gauss shotgun blasts, at least thre of them in rapid succession. Surprisingly, in spite the rapid succession of attacks Harmon is cold and calculating the whole time. All shots connects with the mutants Torso except for a quick-snap shot in the middle right to the tender bits.

The mutant howls in agony, stunned from the furious assault which if the presence of a shotgun-ninja wasn't enough rouses the three lackies who heft up any improved weapons that they can find and set their sights on what they assume is a lone crazy-man in the desert.

Victoria is a lover, tea maker, and artist. Not a fighter. She will get that SMG ready after following Harmon down, though she stays back a ways to fire her gun. She's gonna die. She knows it. Die, die, die. Here lays Victoria, on her ass after letting a radroach kick her ass. Her gun is raised up and held with both hands, and she'll aim to take fire, firing off a few shots that are way too high, flying up and over, possibly hitting a pigeon, "Shit." She ducks down, wincing hard, knownig she didn't touch a thing.

Shane pulls up to her feet, settling so her knees are lightly bent, ready to hop down should need be, but until then, remaining near the other woman, "You say that like you weren't bandaged at the arm," she contends softly, not without a grin. She looks from the super muant gore to the distant super mutant and shakes her head as she grins at Harmon, "Long as someone else takes point on the big boy, I don't doubt I'll be fine." She upnods and whistles at the sight of Harmon cuting in on the super mutant. "Hot damn," and she's trotting off toward the thing, slinging Ripper out with like a bat and trying to knock its legs out from under it... or cut. OR cut. And apparently super mutants can bleed out as well, because it doesn't take long once the leg is severed.

Astaroth Paladino nods silently to Harmon in acceptance of his offer, he falls into the group and moves next to the two others taking a defensive stance. As the group drops off the ledge one by one he mutters to himself "These sumbitches are crazy." He nuts up and shuts up as he takes the leap last, swinging the massive hammer over his head and lands a blow into the chest of one of the smaller ones, he backs a bit and shouts an insulting taunt at the green bastards. "Come get some more you Brahman stuffers!"

Harmon flashes a grin to Shane as she finishes off the big guy, followed by a quick nod before he spins and dashes towards the group of Mutants that seem to take particular offense to Astar's words. His shotgun hums for a moment before two rapid blasts erupt into the smaller group, following Astar's strike. One of the mutants is reduced to a sticky paste almost immediately before the other two begin bashing at the Armored man in their midst, scuffing his armor at best but not able to get through the thick hide.

"Mop this up and I promise a hot meal for each of you and some medical attention." he says, checking his ammo.

Of all the shots taken by Victoria this next round, only one finds it's mark. Right through the tit. Taking off that little nip in the most delicately incising way possible. If she was a surgeon she'd be super please, but right now after her shots she's blinking and then squinting, trying to see if she hit anything, "Did I get him??"

Astaroth Paladino watches the last mutant fall with a satisfied look on his face. He raises his hammer above his large head and shouts "Ad Victoriam!" He then turns to each of the other in the group giving them an encouraging smile and swift nod of his head. "That went very well"

Harmon lets out a long breath and examines the carnage around the group, "Very nicely done indeed. Bunker is just up into the hills a bit, usually enough to keep passerby's from stumbling on it." he says, leading the group towards a fortified bunker obscured by rock outcrops and such.

The door is reinforced metal, the walls look like reinforced concrete and the inside seems to be part constructed, other part natural cave formations. "I offered a hot meal and I'm a man of my word. This is my little piece of the wasteland." he says smiling as he stokes up a fire and checks food stocks.